Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 5:20 am Post subject: Today was supposed to have been my day to see Shooter - sigh

until the studio moved the nationwide premiere to the 23rd. I know others have seen it, I've been reading the reviews. I have to wait. So pardon me if I'm a little pi$$y an' moan-y here.

The official site Shootermovie.com has been updated with new music - I liked the old stuff, but this seems to be the official stuff from Mancina. Not bad, not bad at all. HoHo - got some dayyum fine sound effects, too!

You can also get mobile content by texting Shooter to a number - eh, maybe later. Anyone playing the sniper game? It's kinda funky.

Been catching some of those reviews from early screenings. No spoilers here, just a few fun comments:

Victoria Alexander from FilmsInReview.com says:

Quote:

"I like smart movies where I learn stuff I’ll never use – tradecraft, its called – and SHOOTER gives us enough to impress without being a tutorial.

[Wahlberg] is young enough for an actioner franchise and SHOOTER is smart and tough. His Swagger is another lone patriot up against an unfair system. Forced to retreat and sulk in private, he likes being self-reliant. … [Wahlberg] has defied the Calvin Klein underwear curse by dedicating himself to actually acting."

Uh, yeah, I like the idea of a franchise!

Another review from KillerMovieReviews.com had this to say:

Quote:

"This is RAMBO with less pomposity and better acting. Mostly.

Most of that mostly is Mark Wahlberg, the titular gunman. He is an actor with a palpable intensity, biceps that can best be described as compelling, and charisma by the bucketful, even when dressed as a yeti (don’t ask)."

Man, I got another whole week to wait. Good thing it's Spring Break around here next week, I'll have something to keep me occupied!

Did somebody say biceps??

_________________ That's why SF is so badass - we got the best flashlights. -- Three Kings

Yummy Mark Wahlberg turns a hackneyed action-adventure into a stand-up-and-take-notice thriller. ...
...the cynical Swagger suddenly finds himself on the wrong end of the law. But what’s a little conspiracy when you’ve got the skills to take down the entire operation?
Joyfully silly sub-plots abound... Wahlberg oozes charisma from every pore and sweat-glistened pec,
Paranoia, betrayal, double-crosses and huge dollops of testosterone all accounted for as Swagger takes one for the team and still manages to elude the competition. Multiple climaxes finally settle on a way to end the damn thing and not a moment too soon. Bottom line the bad guys are bad and the guns are smokin’ hot; hey, that’s why they call it a thriller!

Quote:

And Wahlberg, all buffed and stoic, continues to solidify his screen presence as a believable action hero — a working-class guy who believes in honor and loyalty, just like you and me, only with bigger biceps.

These can be found at Rotten Tomatoes, where Shooter has garnered only a 29% on the TomatoMeter, which means I am really gonna enjoy myself come Friday! Whoot!! _________________ That's why SF is so badass - we got the best flashlights. -- Three Kings

More fun comments from reviewers, this one compliments of Richard Lewis at BeyondHollywood.com

Quote:

With Wahlberg, what you see is what you get. And what you get is usually pretty good. He excels at playing the common man: blue collar, gritty, the kind of guy you knew growing up in the neighborhood. A guy who is handsome enough to get the girl but also tough enough to kick some ass when needed. In “Shooter” Wahlberg gets the girl and kicks a whole lot of ass along the way.

_________________ That's why SF is so badass - we got the best flashlights. -- Three Kings

Sorry it was pushed back, but you know his brother's film (Dead Silence) was out that week.

It's a fun movie. Lots of blowing up stuff and shooting - obviously. It's not a very complicated movie so most critics hate it as they're comparing it to The Departed. Its based on a book written by an ex-marine - it's not shakespeare. And not directed by Scorsese. lol

But yes girls and boys he does take his shirt off (he gets shot). There's also a really nice shot while he shooting his gun early on in the film, where the camera just linger over his prone body.

He's the superhero without the tights and cape.

Fun game: See if you can spot scenes that remind you of some of Mark's other movies in the film. One is in the trailers (hint: car chase).

It's a fun movie. Lots of blowing up stuff and shooting - obviously. It's not a very complicated movie so most critics hate it as they're comparing it to The Departed. Its based on a book written by an ex-marine - it's not shakespeare. And not directed by Scorsese. lol

Oh, I totally understand. Everyone's a critic, doncha know? What usually trips the critics triggers does nothing for me. I would rather watch these good ol'fashioned shoot-em-ups than some strange in-depth psychological piece, or chick flick, or gory horror story any day...

BTW, the author of the book is not an ex-marine, he was Army. His character, Bob Lee, is an ex marine sniper. No, the book is not Shakespeare - but then, Shakespeare is not Stephen Hunter. Read the book. It is SOOOOOOO good. This movie is an adaptation, a re-imagination if you will. It will be good in its own right, but part of me wishes they would have stuck more closely to the original character. No matter, I trust Mister Wahlberg will pull it off admirably.

Quote:

He's the superhero without the tights and cape.

Who needs tights and cape covering everything up??

Quote:

Fun game: See if you can spot scenes that remind you of some of Mark's other movies in the film.

I totally lost it during The Departed when Alec Baldwin's character tells Dignam, "The world needs more bartenders." Hey, Vince, how's life in Philly? LMAO!!!_________________ That's why SF is so badass - we got the best flashlights. -- Three Kings